Your Local Cable Company

I’m leaving my ISP this month. It was one of the first “adult” things I did–sign up for a new utility bill for internet. Of course, when I called up asking for internet, I learned that it would cost a little less than $60 per month for internet. More than I wanted to spend, sure, but at $2 a day, it’s worth it for me to be online. But then, oh, how the charges crept up each month. New fee here, new service charge there. Renting a box? Extra $7 a month. New rates apply! At the time of my last bill, I was paying $87 a month. How could this happen?

To save money, I bundled internet and phone and TV and HB0 and Showtime. I didn’t want any of these things, but it was explained to me that if I cancelled them, I would save $2 a month. Obviously not worth it. But as the bill crept up, little by little, it felt like there was nothing I could do. I depend on a solid internet connection to do my show every day–to do my work. Living without it is *not* an option.

Is it so hard to imagine a world where a person can order internet, and get it, at a reasonable price, without having to bundle in a million other expensive and unwanted services? Here’s a cartoon about this issue. Maybe you can relate.